Switch



G. J. SEISS Aug. 3 1926.

SWITCH Filed April 5, 1924 TIE 1 Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

UNlTED sTATss enonen J. sates, or roun onto.

Application filed April 3, 1924. Berm- 11'0. 703,897.

My invention has for its object to provide an exceedingly efiicient and yet comparatively minute electric switch that may be made at a. low cost of production. The

invention is particularly applicable for opening and c osing the circuit of bicycle lamps and electric cells, such as dry cells. It provides an exceedingly convenient switch for parking lamps commonly placed to on rear fenders. The lamps are usually double and small in size and have a low candle ower electric bulb. The switch, bein sum and yet 'eflicient, is mounted on the side of the lam It rovides a combination of lamp an switc that may easily be installed and at a very low cost. The invention is thus designed for use in connection with small outfits where efiicient circuit controllers are required and which must necessarily be made at a very low cost. My invention provides an attractive, small and yet efiicient circuit controller. The invention may be used for controlling the electric circuits that are employed for a great variety of purposes. To illustrate a practical applicatlon of the invention 1 have selected a simple'electric switch containing the invention and shall describe it hereinafter. The switch selected as one embodying the invention is shown in the accompany ing drawin of the switch attached to a containerlor containing a dry cell. Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the switch'applied to a bicycle lamp. Figure 3 illustrates. a ortion of the dry cell container or of the s ell of the lamp formed to receive and retain the switch. Figures 4, 5, 6,7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 illustrate parts of the switch and comprise respectively side views of theknob, shell,

spring, retaining washer, insulator disc, con-' tact bar, connecting bolt and insulating contact disc of the switch. Figures l2, 13, 14: and .15 illustrate respectively a top view of the insulating disc shown in Figure 8, a top view of the contact bar shown in Figure 9; and a top view of the insulating contact disc shown in Figure 11. Figure 16 illustrates a vertical sectionof an enlarged view of the switch. s

Heretofore electric switches used in connection with simple electric circuits such as a single cell circuit have been of the simplest possible'type, such as that existin in a simp e sliding member wluch is shiftsfrom one point to another'to com lete the circuit of the battery or of the 'ce 1. Suchswitcheseasily get out of order and become noperative by reason of the fact that parts interlock or engage so that-the sliding memher cannot be shifted from circuit closing position to circuit opening, or vice versa,

with the result that the cell is soon ex-- hausted. The urpose of my invention is to provide an e clent switch to be used in place of the slide bar switches now commonly used in connection with such circuits, and which is so constructed that it may be made at a low cost of production. The switch, moreover, of necessity must be so constructed that it may be readily attached to the sheet metal of which the devices are formed, in connection with which the swltches are commonly used. The sheet metal devices are provided with an opening 1.... lit may be formed in the sheet metal of the end 2 of a dry cell container, commonly used tor supporting the battery of the lightmg circuit of a bicycle. The container is bar b suitable brackets. r the opening 1 may e'formed in the shell 3 of the bicycle lamp, which is usually connected to the upr ght post by means of a bracket. The sheet metal is provided with notches 4 in the edge of the opening 1 for receiving suitable Figure 1 illustrates in full size a side view tongues 5 that extend from the enclosing shell 6 of the switch. The tongues 5 pass notches 4. The tongues 5 are bent laterally so as to en age the under surface of the cover or en Figure 1, or to engage the shell 3 of the bicycle lamp 10 shown in Figure 2. The insulating disc 2 covers the opening 1 and at.

the same time insulates the fixed contacts 11 to which the wires of the circuit may be connected in any manner. The*contacts 11 have recesses 12 into which the ends of the wires may be inserted and soldered in position. The wires extend to the opening 1 and connection is made direct to the contacts 11.

The contacts 11 project throu h the insulating plate 8 and connection etween the contacts is established b means of a bar 13. The bar 13 is connected 0 an insulating disc 14:. The disc 14 has a diametrically located recess or channel 15 in which the bar 13 is located. It is secured in the recess by means of a bolt 16 having aflat head 17 and a pair 2 of the container 9 shown in its no I

of lugs 18. The bolt 16 extends'through openings 19 and 20 formed in the bar 13 and the insulating disc 14. The bar 13 is slotted by a slot that extends to opposite sides of the circular part of the opening 19, and the lugs 18 of the bolt 16 are located in the slotted portion of the bar 13 and so as to engage the bar 13 when the bolt 16 is rotated. Since the bar 13 is located in the channel 15 formed in the insulating disc 14, the insulating disc 14 will also be rotated with the bar 13. The bolt 16' extends through a lock nut washer 21 and into the switch handle or head 22. The switch head 22 may be formed of insulating material, and a threaded bushing 23 may be located in the neck of the head. The bolt 16 will then be threaded into the bushing. Rotation of the head 22 clockwise will screw itdown on to the bolt and against the washer 21, which will engage with the lower end of the head 22 and with the insulating disc 14 to prevent the unscrewing of the head 22 in the ordinary use of the switch, as and in the manner well known in the art. The neck of the head 22 extends through an opening 24 formed in the shell 6. The shell 6 being connected to the insulating plate 8, and since it encloses the other parts of the switch, the axis of rotation of the connected parts is thus maintained in a substantially constant position, relative to the insulating plate 8.

The rotatable part of the switch is yieldingly pressed towards the insulating plate 8 by means of the spiral spring 25, whose turns have a comparatively large diameter. The spring 25 is bent in the form of a conical spiral, the upper and lower turns of which have a relatively large diameter. It presses a ainst the upper surface of the insulating dlsc 14 and the under surface of the top of the shell 6. It surrounds the neck of the head 22 and thus the disc 14 and the bar 13 are held in parallel relation to the insulating plate 8. The disc 14 is pressed towards the contacts 11 and either the disc 14 or the bar 13 is pressed against the contacts. When the disc 14 is pressed against the contacts 11, the circuit is open. When the bar 13 is pressed against the contacts 11, the circuit is closed. Thus, to establish connection between the contacts 11, the head 22 is turned, which rotates the insulating disc 14 and the bar 13 until the bar 13 bridges the contacts 11. In order that the switch may be yieldingly held closed or yieldingly held open, or in other words to yieldingly prevent rotation of the switch when it has been placed in either the open or the closed position, the contacts 11 are provided with rounded upper surfaces, while the bar 13 is provided with the depressions or openings 26 and the insulating disc 14 is provided with the depressions or openings 27. The centers of the openings 26 and 27 and the centers of the contacts 11 are located at substantially the same distance from the axis of rotation of the movable part of the switch, and the diameters of the openings 26 and 27 are smaller than the diameters of the top surfaces or the upper ends of the contacts 11, whereby the bar 13 and the disc 14 will be raised when it is rotated, after the bar 13 has been placed in an opened or closed position, against the action of the spring 25, and maintained in this raised relation with respect to the insulating plate 8 until the bar is placed in the opened or closed position, that is, until portions of the upper ends of the contacts 11 enter the openings 27, or 26. In order to move the bar from this position sufiicient force will have to be exerted on the head 22 in order to slightly raise the disc 14 against the action of the spring 25 the required small distance. Thus the contacts will be maintained closed, notwithstanding any ordinary jarring to which the switch may be subjected. The same is true with reference to maintaining the circuit opened.

I have thus provided a simple efficient switch whose parts may be easily formed by a punch press and may be readily assembled. The switch, because of its efiiciency, can thus compete with the well known slide bar switch.

I claim In a switch, a sheet metal plate having an opening, notches located in the opening, an insulating plate having a pair of contacts and for covering the opening, a shell having tongues extending through the insulating plate and into the notches to engage the sheet metal plate, an insulating disc, a bar connected to the insulating disc for bridging the contacts, a spring for pressing the disc and the bar towards the insulating plate, means for rotating the bar and the disc.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name vto this specification.

GEORGE J. SEISS. 

